The Primary Itinerant Teacher Service in South-West Queensland. Priority Country Area Program Evaluation Series: Report No. 1.

Priority Country Area Program Office, Brisbane (Australia).

Interviews, project documents, and parent responses provided information for an interim evaluation of the Primary Itinerant Teacher Service, a pilot project designed to improve educational opportunities of children in the South-West Priority Country Area. In 1978, 3 itinerant teams of 2 teachers each contacted 238 students in 164 families and provided the following services: (1) visiting, teaching, and testing pupils on primary correspondence courses and diagnosing their problems; (2) providing group experiences for pupils through 5-day mini-schools and activity days; (3) assisting, advising, and encouraging Home Supervisors; and (4) providing written reports on pupils for the Primary Correspondence School (PCS) and the School of the Air. Forty-five percent of staff time was spent in administrative activities at the central office and 55 percent was spent out on itinerary. The average contact time per week was 24 hours; the average travel time was over 18 hours. The itinerant teachers, the PCS, parents, and community groups perceived the program as valuable and needed. Areas of concern are the relatively high turnover of itinerant staff and the need for more staff to provide increased student contact. Further evaluation should focus on the quality of the service and the impact of the itinerants on the network of educational support services for isolated families. (JH)